Rock 'n' Roll Soccer by Ian Plenderleith

Does he feel a warm glow when the belligerent, moaning striker fires wide from six yards out? In short, he certainly does, and it’s often enough to make him want to show up again next weekend. Is he depressed? Only every second Sunday. This book tells you what’s going on in a referee’s head. Through parental mass brawls, on-field fistfights, choleric coaches and foul-mouthed threats, he endures a never-ending lack of respect and sportsmanship, pocked with flashes of humour and even half-decent behaviour. NASL soccer returned to Houston and the Astrodome ten years later with the formation of the Houston Hurricane (1978-1980).“Insightful, hilarious and hair-raising, Reffing Hell will make you wonder why anyone becomes a match official and very glad that Ian Plenderleith did” Harry Pearsonįor the best part of a decade, writer and journalist Ian Plenderleith has been refereeing amateur football in the German city of Frankfurt am Main. The 1968 Stars posted a respectable 14-12-6 record, but it was not enough to advance in the NASL’s stingy playoff system. Jerry Mueller was the lone American-born player on the opening day roster. The Stars hired Hungarian head coach Geza Henni, who assembled a multi-national squad that included Bermudans, Danes, Greeks, Hungarians, Mexicans and a large contingent of Yugoslavs. The NASL dispensed with the USA’s practice of importing foreign teams. The Stars finished 4-4-4, good for fourth place in the USA’s Western Division.Īfter the 1967 season, the USA merged with its competitor, the National Professional Soccer League to form the North American Soccer League.

The 1967 Houston Stars were actually Bangu Atletico Club of Brazil.

The USA imported European and South American clubs who played in the States under pseudonyms. The Stars were founding members of the United Soccer Association in 1967. The Stars were, in fact, two separate clubs. The Houston Stars were a short-lived pro soccer outfit of the late 1960’s owned by the colorful Judge Roy Hofheinz, owner of Major League Baseball’s Houston Astros and driving force behind construction of the Astrodome. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link like this one, Fun While It Lasted earns a commission at no additional cost to you. Rep the Stars and the Dome with this super soft vintage wash Tee from our partners at Streaker Sports. Houston’s original “outdoor” soccer club, the Stars, made their home in the Astrodome in 19 and incorporated the “Eighth Wonder of the World” right into the center of their logo.

Rock 'n' Roll Soccer by Ian Plenderleith